Frank exits his bedroom and walks down the stairs. He's the last one ready for the wedding. "Dad, we're going to be late," Cal announces.
After checking his watch, Frank replies, "We'll be on time. What made you think we'll be late?"
"Stephanie," Cal growls, glaring at his sister. Stephanie rolls her eyes at Cal's theatrics.
"What? You know Cal leaves everything to the last minute. I told him we had to leave thirty minutes earlier," Stephanie replies, shrugging. She stops herself from messing up Cal's hair. It took her too long to style his thick blond hair.
"Is Cody ready?" Frank asks.
"Yes, Dad," Cody replies. "We were waiting for you."
"Do you have extra tissues in your purse?" Frank asks Faith. She nods as she double-checks. He knows his wife will cry at the wedding. Faith looks stunning in her deep purple gown. It accentuates her classic Italian looks and sexy curves without being too tight. The bodice dips low enough to showcase her breasts without revealing too much cleavage.
"Frank, I'm wearing waterproof makeup," Faith says, gently slapping his shoulder. She removes the fabric square, matching her dress perfectly, from his tuxedo pocket and fixes it. Faith pats his chest and attempts to step back. Frank slips his arm around her waist to pull her against his body. Stephanie sighs, thinking she would be so lucky to find a love like theirs. Not caring about the children watching, Frank kisses his wife indecently.
"Come on, guys. I'm not interested in watching our parents kiss," Stephanie exclaims, motioning for the boys to follow her to the car. "Hang on, Cody. You forgot your shoes."
Cody grumbles and runs up the stairs to grab his dress shoes from the bedroom. Stephanie and Cal laugh when Cody comments about seeing his parents kissing at the base of the stairs.
Stephanie presses the button to open the garage door. The noise must have broken the spell between Frank and Faith. "Do we have everyone?" Frank asks, refusing to take his eyes off Faith.
"Cody is grabbing his shoes," Stephanie answers. Everyone listens as Cody tosses everything around in his room. Stephanie turns her gaze to Cal. She places a hand on her hip and gives Cal her best Burg glare.
"Fine!" Cal snaps. He races past everyone to run up the stairs. Cal and Cody return a minute later.
"Well? Where were your shoes?" Stephanie demands.
"Under Cal's bed," Cody replies. "I'm not allowed to enter his room."
"Boys," Stephanie breathes. Frank herds everyone to the car. He laughs when Stephanie threatens to tattoo Cal's forehead if he keeps teasing Cody. Cal's face turns pale, knowing Stephanie would carry through with her threat.
"Mom, how did Grandma Gia remove the ruffles?" Stephanie asks during the drive to Trenton, NJ.
"Do you remember when the seamstress removed that excess fabric from Shirley's skirt?" Faith asks, pausing to hear Stephanie's response. After receiving her affirmation, Faith adds, "Your grandmother asked for the scraps and used them to fashion the bodice of your gown. She also took it in to fit you better. We decided to leave the ruffles on the skirt to match the other bridesmaid gowns."
"The style is more appealing, but did Valerie have to choose pumpkin orange?" Stephanie whines.
"It doesn't look so bad with your tan," Faith replies. "You know it could have been worse."
"How?" Cal asks.
"She could have chosen that dress in fuchsia," Faith laughs. Stephanie shudders. She does not like anything pink.
Thankfully, nobody's clothes have wrinkles when they arrive at the church. Faith straightens Frank's tie before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. She takes her sons' hands and enters the church, choosing not to have the ushers walk her down the aisle. Faith sees the Morellis sitting on the groom's side of the church. She focuses on getting her children to the seats for the bride's family. Faith encourages Cal and Cody to sit behind Stephanie's grandma, Edna. Cal smiles at Stephanie's Mazur grandparents. He's happy when his Dad's parents sit beside them. Faith thanks her in-laws for moving to her row and helping with the children. Cody immediately moves to sit between his mom and grandma.
"Mom," Cal whispers. "Do you hear that?"
Faith tries to concentrate, but the chatter in the church is too loud for her to ignore. "I'm sorry, but I can't," Faith confesses.
Edna turns in her seat. She winks at Cal and asks, "What did you hear, Cal?"
Cal grins because Edna remembered his name. "It sounds like my sister is fighting with her mom," he replies.
"I'll go check it out. You stay here, okay?" Edna asks, narrowing her eyes at Cal to make him stay in his seat.
"I don't like yelling. I'll stay here with my mom," Cal replies.
"Smart boy," Edna teases. Edna can't believe her daughter is stirring the shit on Valerie's wedding day. For a woman consumed by the opinions of the women in the Burg, Helen doesn't seem to mind giving them fuel for their nasty gossip.
Helen is glaring at Stephanie. Her face is red from screaming. As she opens her mouth to shout another word at Stephanie, Edna arrives and slaps Helen's face. "Mother!" Helen gasps, holding her cheek.
"Enough hatred out of your mouth," Edna says. "Everyone in the church can hear your vile words. Pull your shit together, Helen." Edna waves the best man forward to walk Helen down the aisle. She waits for the doors to close before hugging Stephanie. "I love what Gia did to your dress." Edna glances at the other bridesmaids and Valerie before shaking her head and muttering blessings in Hungarian.
Carlos cautiously approaches Stephanie and the other bridesmaids. "You look beautiful. Are you okay?" Carlos asks, speaking in Spanish.
"Yes, better now that you're here," Stephanie replies. Carlos pulls Stephanie into his arms. He holds her for several minutes before Frank approaches him. Carlos steps back and gently wipes a tear from Stephanie's eye. "Thank you," Stephanie whispers.
"Sit with our family," Frank advises. He motions for Steve's cousin to escort Carlos to the pew where Faith and the boys sit.
Carlos chastely kisses Stephanie's lips before following the usher. Stephanie stares at Carlos until he disappears behind the doors. "He kissed me," she whispers.
"I thought he kissed you before," Frank teases.
Shaking her head, Stephanie replies, "Only on the cheek. Never the lips."
Frank chuckles, "Carlos is your date." He grins at his youngest daughter before kissing her forehead. "I approve."
"Thanks, Daddy," Stephanie whispers. She's floating on cloud nine from her first kiss. Stephanie can't wait for the reception.
Valerie approaches Stephanie as her maid of honour fixes the train on her dress. "Why did you invite him? I thought Eddie was your guest," Valerie snarls. Stephanie wants to give Valerie the bouquet and tell her where to shove it.
"Are you ready?" Frank interrupts when the organist plays the music Valerie chose for her walk down the aisle toward her groom.
"Yes, Daddy," Valerie sweetly replies. Stephanie gets into position as the first bridesmaid to walk down the aisle after Steve's cousins, who are the ring bearer and the flower girl.
"Hang on, Margaret, I have to tie your ribbon," Stephanie whispers. Margaret fidgets as Stephanie fixes the bow. She glares at Paul to warn him against untying it again.
The church doors open. Stephanie gently touches Margaret's shoulder to let her know it's time to walk. Paul walks beside his sister. He behaves as he walks toward his dad, sitting in the second row on the groom's side of the aisle.
Stephanie finds Carlos sitting between Faith and Cal. She smiles at her stepmom and walks down the aisle while staring at Carlos. He grins, making her heart race. Stephanie loves her best friend. The kiss left her lips tingling. She returns his smile.
Various women from the Burg comment about how beautiful Stephanie looks in her dress. Stephanie snickers when those women gasp when the other bridesmaids enter the church. It humours Stephanie, but she feels terrible for the other women.
Valerie enters the church on Frank's arm, clutching her bridal bouquet tight against her chest. The ruffles on Valerie's bodice brush against her chin with every step. She smiles brightly as she tries to walk without tripping on her dress.
Stephanie can't see Valerie until she's a few rows from the front. She reaches across the other bridesmaid to grab the maid of honour's bouquet, who is too busy making eyes at the best man to notice Valerie's arrival. Frank kisses Valerie's cheek and places her hand in Steve's. Valerie sighs as she hands Shirley her flowers. Shirley snaps from her trance and smiles at Valerie.
Catching Carlos' eye, Stephanie winks. He returns the gesture and places a hand over his heart. Stephanie gets lost in a daydream where she's marrying Carlos. She snaps out of it in time for the liturgy of the word.
Carlos can't take his eyes off Stephanie. Sitting in church during a wedding made him realize how much he loves Stephanie Michelle Plum. He imagines them getting married in a few years. Carlos feels their connection growing stronger as the ceremony progresses. He wants to let Stephanie know how he feels. Stephanie and Carlos stare at each other as Valerie and Steve exchange vows.
Faith and Frank smile when they realize Stephanie is watching Carlos' reaction to the ceremony. Electricity flows through the air between Stephanie and Carlos. Frank knows his youngest daughter has found her soulmate. He also knows Steve will break Valerie's heart.
The remaining ceremony passes quickly. Stephanie returns the bouquet to Shirley. Valerie holds the bridal bouquet in her right hand as they walk down the aisle toward the narthex.
An arch of white and orange flowers is inside the narthex. Valerie and Steve stand beneath it for the photographer to take pictures. The priest didn't allow photos during the sacred ceremony.
Stephanie poses with the bridal party for the photographer and the other wedding guests. It's frustrating when everyone is calling for you to look at them. The photos will show everyone in the bridal party looking in a different direction. Stephanie smiles at the thought.
After the photographer took enough photos in the church, he led the group to the picturesque park across the street. Stephanie glances at the overcast skies, hoping the rain will hold off until the photographer finishes taking the pictures.
She laughs when the first drop of rain lands on her nose a second after the photographer takes the last picture. Carlos rushes forward with an umbrella large enough to cover them both. Stephanie links their arms. "Thank you," she whispers.
"I know how frizzy your hair becomes in the rain," Carlos teases. "Where are we going now?"
"To the reception hall. Do you need a ride?" Stephanie asks. "We have room in the car."
Carlos points over his shoulder at his parents, "Mama and Papa will drive me."
"And after the reception?" Stephanie rests her cheek on Carlos' shoulder.
"I'm going to Point Pleasant with your family. Papa arranged everything with Frank," Carlos explains. He walks Stephanie to Frank's vehicle and opens the door. Cody moves to the centre of the seat, allowing Stephanie to have the space beside the door. Carlos waits until Stephanie connects her seatbelt before kissing her lips. He closes the door and taps the hood for Frank to drive away.
"Your Abuela Rosa told us about your girlfriend," Maria Manoso says. "She's beautiful. Does she know you want to enlist in the Army?"
"Stephanie knows everything, Mama," Carlos replies. "I don't keep secrets from her."
"What about that girl?" Maria asks while opening the passenger door of the car.
"She lied. I never had sex with her or anyone else. Mom, I'm still a virgin," Carlos reminds his mother when he climbs inside the backseat.
"Maria, leave the boy alone. He's seventeen and doesn't need us to know about his private matters," Ricardo warns.
"Our son needs to know how to protect himself," Maria snaps.
"Mama, the school taught sex ed during health class. I know about condoms and how to make babies," Carlos says, finding their discussion slightly uncomfortable. He prays his parents will change the subject.
Ricardo remains quiet as Maria talks about the issues of having premarital sex. He glances in the rearview mirror to see Carlos pinching his nose. Carlos senses his dad watching him and raises his head to look at his dad. Ricardo winks at his son, putting him at ease.
They arrive at the community centre for the reception. Carlos grabs his duffle from the trunk and finds Frank Plum waiting behind his car, a few parking spots to the right. Frank nods and closes the trunk after Carlos drops his bag inside.
Stephanie picks at her dinner. She's nervous about giving the speech on behalf of the other bridesmaids. It should be Shirley delivering the toast for the newlyweds. Stephanie finds Carlos sitting with her family between Cal and Cody at the table. Helen's lips are thin from disgust. It wasn't her idea to place Carlos at their table. She wisely keeps her mouth closed.
The best man stands and maneuvers to the podium. He turns on the mic to tell an embarrassing story about Valerie and Steve. Stephanie laughs and manages to finish eating her dinner. Before she could set her fork on the plate, the servers arrived with dessert. Stephanie smiles and accepts the tiramisu.
Frank shakes his head when Brian takes his seat. Steve toasts the bride for agreeing to marry him and sticking around just now after hearing Brian's speech. Valerie's cheeks are pink from embarrassment. She awkwardly takes a sip of wine to settle her nerves. After telling Valerie how much he loved her, Steve took a seat. He kisses her indecently until Frank clears his throat.
Stephanie eats her tiramisu and wipes her mouth when Frank calls her to the podium. She shares Shirley's speech but omits the embarrassing story. "Sorry, Shirley. I'm not comfortable telling your story. Feel free to join me, and you can share it with the guests," Stephanie says. Shirley shakes her head. "Okay. Valerie and Steve, may you have many years together and never forget the love you feel today. Cheers."
Steve and Valerie give a speech to thank everyone for attending their ceremony. Valerie lets Steve do all the talking. They sit at the table and listen as Steve's parents give their speech. Once they return to their table, the DJ announces the first dance.
Stephanie's anxious to dance with Carlos. He quickly moves to dance with her when the DJ tells everyone to join the bride and groom on the floor. Stephanie places her hand on his neck and plays with the hair hanging in the low ponytail.
"I asked them to play a better song," Carlos whispers as the barf-inducing love song ends.
Grinning when the opening bars of the Latin music fill the room, Stephanie quickly gets into position to dance with Carlos. His hands move to her hips, encouraging her to wiggle them as she steps. Stephanie tips her head back and laughs. Carlos pulls her tightly against his body. She can feel the muscle definition in his pecs and abs. "You've been working out," Stephanie breathily says.
"Yes. Feel my chest," Carlos moans. Stephanie moves her hands to rest on his pecs before trailing them up and around his neck.
Their hormones are running wild. Stephanie feels dampness between her legs, something she has only felt with Carlos. She knows it's an automatic response from attraction. Despite her ordeal a few days ago, Stephanie wants Carlos to touch her there. She wants everything he's willing to offer. Faith wants Stephanie to wait until starting birth control before having sex. Stephanie isn't sure she wants to wait that long.
Helen screams something at Stephanie, but she isn't listening. Stephanie only sees and hears Carlos.
Their dance is hot. Everyone is commenting on how well they dance. Valerie is watching her sister tear a flaming streak across the dance floor. The DJ plays a second Latin song for the couple dancing. Carlos knows the words and sings to Stephanie. Everything is great until Helen tosses a jug of water at Stephanie and Carlos, shouting, "You are nothing but a whore!"
Stephanie and Carlos continue dancing. They laugh at Helen's embarrassing outbreak. When the song finally ends, Stephanie and Carlos leave the reception. Frank drives them to Point Pleasant before returning to the wedding. It isn't ideal to leave two horny teens alone, but Frank doesn't have another choice. Helen needs to pay for ruining the reception.
Once they're alone, Stephanie and Carlos give in to their passion. He kisses the bruises he knows Stephanie has covered with makeup. "Stephanie, Babe, may I kiss you here?" Carlos asks, gently touching her privates.
Stephanie nods and breathily answers, "Yes. Take away the pain and memories, Carlos. Love me."
"As you wish," he replies. Carlos kisses everywhere Joseph Morelli left his mark. He fumbles with the condom until Stephanie stills his hands to help. They make love for the first time that night. "Did I hurt you?" Carlos asks after removing the condom.
"No," she answers honestly. Stephanie feels a well of emotions bubbling close to the surface. She loves Carlos but wonders if people will judge her so soon after the attack.
"I'm sorry for not lasting," he sheepishly says.
"It's okay, Carlos. I'm sure you'll last longer during our second time. Mary Lou said that was true for Lenny," Stephanie replies. She kisses him before climbing out of bed. Stephanie goes to the mirror to remove the bobby pins holding her hair in place. Carlos helps Stephanie remove the pins from her hair and takes her to the bathroom to shower. She moans when he kisses her shoulder with every lock of hair he releases.
He fumbles and trips as he tries to make love to her in the shower. It's awkward and slippery. Stephanie wraps her legs around Carlos' waist as he presses her against the cold tiles. "We can't let Daddy find these," Stephanie whispers when Carlos deposits the used condom in the trash.
"Your dad will be happy I used protection," Carlos argues. She wraps a towel around herself and changes the trash bag. Stephanie enters her room to get the other condom Carlos dropped on the floor. "I love you, Stephanie."
"I love you, Carlos."
"Babe?" Carlos asks after dressing for bed.
"Mmhmm?" Stephanie replies. She pulls a shirt over her head. Carlos smiles, realizing it's one of his. He rushes forward and slams his lips against hers. "Carlos, what did you want to ask?" Stephanie asks without moving away from him.
"Babe, are you feeling okay? Was it too soon after that pig hurt you?" Carlos hopes he didn't damage Stephanie emotionally by having sex.
"I'm okay, Carlos. I never told you to stop. We've been building up to today for many years. Sure, it's technically our first date, but in my heart, we've been dating for over eight years," Stephanie replies, putting Carlos at ease.
"I want you to promise to be mine forever," he replies.
"Carlos, I'm already yours," Stephanie whispers.
"And I am yours forever," Carlos adds.
A/N: I will be addressing the issue of their first sexual encounter and Stephanie's reaction in the next chapter.